Earlier this month, Simas & Associates, Ltd. applied in response to a Request for Statement of Qualifications (SOQ)from the County of San Luis Obispo to serve as Hearing Officers regarding cannabis-related licensed business in the County.
As part of this initial SOQ search, the County is seeking at least five (5) qualified candidates to serve as Cannabis Hearing Officers, including from law firms, partnerships, legal limited liability corporations, or individual attorneys interested in acting as Cannabis Hearing Officers. Cannabis Hearing Officers will conduct administrative hearings and render written decisions based on the finding of facts and conclusions of law. Knowledge of County Code and State of California cannabis laws will be used to make findings.
Simas & Associates, Ltd. already serves as Hearing Officers in the Counties of Sonoma and San Diego, dealing primarily in land use issues. This would be the firm’s first official foray into overseeing cannabis-related matters for any level of municipality.
To qualify, Cannabis Hearing Officers must be a duly licensed attorney at law who has been admitted to practice in California for at least five years.